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Rufus
Rufus is one of the main protagonists of Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria. The only half-elf in existence besides Odin, he refuses to accept his fate as a replacement vessel. He is an Archer. Personality Rufus is witty, enthusiastic and somewhat cocky, tending to keep an optimistic and relaxed attitude most of the time. However, his origins are a sore point for him. He greatly resents the gods and is, at first, understandably wary of Silmeria and other elves. He sympathizes with Alicia's plight and views her struggle as a chance to challenge his own destiny. Over the course of the game, he gains confidence and eventually accepts the responsibility of taking Odin's place of his own volition. His feelings for Alicia evolve past simple camaraderie, but even though they are reciprocated, her choice to sacrifice herself to become the vessel for Valkyrie prevents the relationship from fully developing. Background/Storyline Rufus was born in the Forest of Spirits at an unspecified time. The circumstances of his conception are unknown, but he was raised much like a farm animal by the other elves. Designed as a spare body for Odin to use should his own ever become damaged or deteriorate, he was given the Ring of Mylinn, a distinctive red gem which kept him from aging. He could also not remove it, as it would cause his soul to wither away. Eventually growing tired of being treated like an object, he flees the Forest and roams Midgard in the hopes of discovering a way to escape Odin's influence. Hearing that King Barbarossa is planning to oppose the gods, he sets off for Solde to try to reach Dipan and try his luck there. Chapter 1 Rufus' arrival in Solde coincides with Alicia's flight from Crell Monferaigne, where she has been attacked by Hrist after Odin realized that Silmeria was still awake within her. In her bid to prevent Alicia from reaching Dipan, Hrist has attacked the liner connecting it to Solde, and both Rufus and Alicia thus find themselves stranded in the port. Silmeria tells Alicia about the Royal Underground Path, as an alternative to the liner. She also notices the ring on Rufus' finger and immediately realizes his identity, prompting Alicia to recruit him as an escort, but declining to explain her choice. As Alicia's shyness makes her less than persuasive, Silmeria takes over her body, introducing herself as the Princess of Dipan and promising Rufus due compensation for his help. Surprised and suspicious at this change of address, he nevertheless agrees to help. He questions Alicia's presence in Solde, as the princess of Dipan is rumoured to be dead, but when Silmeria returns the question, he promptly drops the subject, reluctant to reveal his identity. Upon reaching the Lost Forest, where the Royal Underground Path is situated, Silmeria demonstrates some of her powers by crystallizing an enemy with a photon and materializing one of her Einherjar, Mithra, much to Rufus' shock and confusion. Inside the Royal Underground Path itself, she also materializes Dylan, a former knight of Dipan, who appears to be stronger than her other Einherjar, as he is able to remain materialized permanently. Chapter 2 Once the party reaches Dipan, Rufus wants to take his leave, having made good on his promise to escort Alicia. When she asks him to stay a little longer, he calls her out on her identity, believing that she is simply Silmeria in disguise, only to realize that there are actually two souls in one body. He thinks that Silmeria wants to denounce Dipan's activities to Odin, but she explains that she is actually trying to oppose him. This idea appeals to Rufus, and he decides to stay. Dylan takes the party to the castle, which appears to be strangely empty. Alicia suggests looking for Dallas, one of her childhood friends who has since become one of the Three Mages of Dipan, and would presumably know of their plans. However, they find the underground passages of the castle teeming with monsters, and when they reach the laboratory, they realize that the Mages have been growing them. Alicia confronts Dallas when they find him, while Dylan uncovers evidence that the Three Mages were actually intending to use the Dragon Orb to free Dipan from the gods' influence. This angers Silmeria, as using the Orb would endanger the rest of Midgard. However, the party is then discovered by Walther and Gyne, the two elder Mages, as well as Barbarossa himself. He ignores Alicia's pleas, as he believes that Silmeria is using her to stop him and orders the party to be captured. As they flee, they briefly encounter Hrist, who had been following them, but she is forced to retreat to avoid discovery by Barbarossa's guards. The party finds itself cornered, but Lezard, who had been posing as the Mages' apprentice, appears in the nick of time and teleports them safely back to the Lost Forest. Once there, he introduces himself, explaining the King's plans to create a closed timeline, separate from Yggdrasil. He also reveals that he knows about Silmeria's presence within Alicia, allegedly from Dallas. She decides to protect the Dragon Orb, both from Odin and Barbarossa, and Lezard volunteers to take the party to the Orb's last known location: the Serdberg Mountain Ruins near Coriander. As the party sets up camp on their way out of the forest, Rufus wonders whether Silmeria's object reading powers could be used to read a person's mind. She offers to try, but each of the three men declines in turn, indicating that they each have something to hide. Chapter 3 As the party explores the Serdberg Mountain Ruins, they run across Arngrim and Leone, two treasure hunting mercenaries who offer to team up in order to stand a better chance against the local fauna. Despite Dylan's initial unwillingness to trust strangers, Rufus points out that Arngrim and Leone know just as little about them. This is only half-true, as Leone is actually Hrist in disguise, tasked by Odin to let Silmeria lead her to the Dragon Orb, which he also covets. She notices the ring on Rufus' finger, realizing his identity, but maintains her cover. At the top of the ruins, the party battles a guardian, but the dais designed to hold the Orb is empty. Silmeria uses her powers of object reading to determine that it has been taken to Audoula Temple on the Lake. She is aware of Hrist's presence, but is reluctant to cause a confrontation and does not alert the others. She simply warns Alicia to watch her back. While exploring the Temple, the party rests, and as Leone remarks that she is impressed by Alicia's courage, the latter reveals the party's true goals. Arngrim likens it to treasure hunting, but Alicia protests that her goal is to avoid war with the gods. Leone says it is a nobler task than graverobbing, which prompts Alicia to say that she considers her and Arngrim as allies, not thieves. While Arngrim appreciates the thought, he doubts its sincerity. Rufus then reveals that Alicia is the princess of Dipan, stating that Arngrim should just be thankful, as the acquaintance might be profitable for him. When the party reaches the dais, they find it empty and must battle another guardian. After it is defeated, Rufus accidentally comes into contact with the dais. This causes a reaction with his ring, and he is projected to the ground. The ring flies off his finger, causing him great pain. Silmeria promptly takes over Alicia's body and tells Dylan to put the ring back on Rufus' finger. Lezard remarks that humans should be able to touch the dais without harm, which forces Rufus to reveal his secret, angrily commenting that Alicia must have known all along. After he explains the mechanics of the Ring to Dylan, Silmeria berates him for giving his identity away. When Dylan remarks that she is being disrespectful to someone who is fighting for her cause, she states that Rufus actually has a personal stake in the matter, which he confirms: defeating Odin might free him from his fate. Lezard encourages him, saying that no fate is unalterable, but he refuses to accept sympathy. Silmeria determines that the Orb has been taken to Surts Volcano Caverns, and the party sets off, but not without Leone displaying some concern about Odin's control over Rufus. As the party rests during their exploration of the Caverns, Alicia asks Rufus if he is feeling better. She then says it is a relief for her to know that she is not the only one tormented by the gods, upon which Rufus remarks that her situation is worse than his. She proceeds to explain that, when she first found out that Silmeria was with her, she could not sleep at night, for fear of what might happen if Silmeria was summoned while she was asleep. She thinks the gods will never grant humans peace, but the conversation makes Rufus uncomfortable. He snaps at her, and says that he is still afraid to sleep at night himself. However, seeing that Alicia is apologetic, he encourages her by saying that they need to find the Orb to give Odin a taste of his own medicine. Once again, Leone appears pensive at hearing this conversation. The dais in the Caverns is empty, and the party then proceeds to Crawsus Forest Ruins. They battle yet another guardian, but while the dais is empty yet again, it leads the party to the final location of the Orb, the Palace of the Venerated Dragon. However, as Alicia attempts to claim the Orb, Hrist reveals herself and takes it. Angry at having been deceived, Arngrim attacks her, only to be killed and forcibly turned into an Einherjar. Hrist returns to Valhalla, and Silmeria apologizes for her inaction, stating that Alicia's thoughts took over and prevented her from doing anything. This angers Rufus, but Lezard defuses the situation by stating that they did their best, considering the circumstances, and that they should now head back to Dipan, as it is certain to be in danger. Chapter 4 Hrist attacks Dipan, destroying a large part of the city. Walther and Gyne appear to be cooperating her, as is a resigned Arngrim. They capture Barbarossa and Dallas, who has remained loyal, and both are sentenced to death. The party intervenes and defeats Walther and Gyne, but this does not prevent Hrist from executing the King. Surprisingly enough, she allows the party a chance to leave before midnight. However, as she ridicules the Mages' efforts, they rise up again, revealing that they have consumed Ghoul Powder to become undead. They feed some Ghoul Powder to Dallas and disappear, as does Hrist, shocked at this turn of events. After witnessing Dallas' transformation, the party returns to the castle, and Lezard states that Rufus is now their only hope of opposing Odin, even though Silmeria doubts that he would be able to confront him without possessing the knowledge of the gods. Inside the castle, they witness some guards carrying a casket: Alicia's mother has taken her own life in grief. Hrist and Arngrim reappear, and despite the former's assurance that she had nothing to do with Malabeth's death, Alicia's anger flares up, and she attacks. Taking advantage of the distraction, Walther and Gyne reappear and cast the Sovereign's Rite, hoping to capture both Silmeria and Hrist for their own ends. This prompts Dylan to release Brahms, who had been hiding within him, in an attempt to save Silmeria. Sensing his presence, Freya appears to capture him, as Odin intends to use his soul to replace the Dragon Orb as a source of power to sustain Midgard. Lezard uses this situation to set his own plans in motion: he kidnaps Silmeria and disappears, leaving Brahms to be crystallized and captured by Freya, who also returns Hrist and Arngrim safely to Valhalla. She senses the distortion caused by Lezard's intervention, but is unable to do anything about it. Chapter 5 Alicia, who has fallen unconscious after the Rite, wakes up to find a stunned Rufus sitting in a corner on his own and realizes that Silmeria is gone. Rufus explains what happened, conjecturing that both Dylan and Lezard are dead. At a loss, Alicia wonders what they should do next, prompting an angry response from Rufus. However, seeing how much the situation pains her, he apologizes and suggests that they go retrieve the Dragon Orb. But as they make their way out of Dipan, he decides that he wants to confront Odin for what he has done. He intends to climb Yggdrasil to attain the knowledge of the gods and thus be able to face Odin on an equal footing. Alicia wants to accompany him, but he explains that humans cannot cross Bifrost, the bridge that connects Midgard to Asgard. He bids her farewell, only to swiftly change his mind and suggest that they at least travel together as far as the Forest of Spirits, indicating, for the first time, that he may have grown fond of her. The pair makes it to the gates of Bifrost, only to realize firsthand that Alicia cannot pass. Seeing that this distresses her, Rufus promises that he will not leave without her. However, they are suddenly ambushed by a group of Aesir scouts led by Heimdall. They attempt to flee, and Alicia prompts Rufus to go on alone, which he refuses to do. A lone scout chances upon their hiding place but, when all hope seems lost, he is defeated by a female elf. She leads them to safety under the roots of a tree. Introducing herself as Roussalier, she questions them on their journey and their purpose. Rufus is initially reluctant to trust an elf, but since his suspicions genuinely appear to pain the woman, Alicia berates him and explains their endeavour. Roussalier says that the only way for a human to cross Bifrost is to either become an Einherjar or undead. This prompts Alicia to suggest that they go back to Dipan and find some leftover Ghoul Powder in the Three Mages' laboratory. Rufus suggests that she wear his ring while they cross the bridge to prevent her from fully transforming; as time does not flow in Asgard, neither of them will need the ring once they are there. As they leave, they thank Roussalier for her help, and Rufus remarks that this is the first time an elf has ever shown him kindness. Their errand is successful, and they return to the gates of Bifrost. Alicia takes the Ghoul Powder, but while they are waiting for the transformation to start, Heimdall returns with his scouts. Roussaliser reappears and leads them away, buying Rufus and Alicia enough time to make it through. Alicia is temporarily unconscious, but Rufus witnesses, powerless, as Roussalier is surrounded and killed, with one last encouraging smile at them. Rufus removes his ring and puts it on Alicia's hand. But the cavern leading up to Bifrost is still considered as a part of Midgard, meaning that he is not yet safe without the ring. Alicia wakes up, and they hurry through the caverns as fast as possible, eventually reaching Bifrost. While they are crossing, Heimdall interposes himself once again, but they defeat him and move on to Asgard. On their way up Yggdrasil, they stop to take a break, and Rufus remarks that Alicia can take his ring off, since she is no longer in danger of transforming. However, she says that it has become her good luck charm and kisses it, much to Rufus' embarrassment. He suggests that he go on alone to the top of Yggdrasil, so as not to put her in unnecessary danger, but she insists on taking her chances with him. Once at the top, the pair finds a crystal containing the knowledge of the gods. Rufus attempts to lay claim to it, but Odin, who has been tracking their progress, appears to confront them. Rufus is heavily injured, and as Odin is about to strike down Alicia, who is attempting to protect him, Lezard appears. He has been using astral projection to follow them and claims that he was separated from the party after he teleported away from the Sovereign's Rite. He battles Odin alongside Alicia, and this time, they gain the advantage. Suddenly, an alarmed Freya appears to warn Odin that Lezard was the cause of the distortion she felt in Dipan, but he neutralizes her and uses Odin's distraction to transfer his soul into Rufus' body, displacing Rufus' own soul. He then steals Gungnir and disappears with both his prizes. Left alone, Alicia has a moment of despair, but Rufus' soul has not vanished. He reassures her and asks her to materialize him. She is unsure of how to do this without Silmeria's powers, but nevertheless manages to absorb his soul within herself. However, she also needs an object which belonged to Rufus in order to complete the materialization, and the Ring of Mylinn has fallen off her finger during the battle. She sets off to retrieve it and manages to bring Rufus back. After sharing a moment, the two then set off for Valhalla to retrieve the Dragon Orb. In the meantime, Freya explains what has happened to Hrist and asks for her help. She tries to enlist some Einherjar to assist her, but they are all reluctant, and Arngrim, who regrets what he has done in Dipan, explains to her that no one really wants Odin back. After she leaves, he spots Alicia and Rufus wandering the halls. At first, he thinks that they have also been made Einherjar, but when they explain that they have been battling Odin on their own, he realizes that he was foolish to give up hope and tells Alicia that she can execute him for what he did in Dipan. However, she forgives him and offers him to join them again instead, which he readily accepts. The three eventually reach the Water Mirror, where Brahms' crystal is stored alongside the Dragon Orb. As they attempt to use the mirror to transport both back to Midgard, Hrist appears. She explains that Lezard has created a pocket dimension separate from Yggdrasil and is attempting to become a god, requesting the party's help to bring Silmeria back. They agree, on condition that the Dragon Orb be returned and Brahms freed. However, Freya, who has been following them, is indignant that humans would attempt to bargain with gods and attacks. Hrist takes a stand and subdues her by using the Dragon Orb. This allows the party to escape through the Water Mirror, which is cracked in the process. Chapter 6 The party travels to Lezard's new world, where they find Lenneth the Creator, who has travelled back in time from the future after Ragnarok. She reveals that Lezard also comes from her time and has created a temporal paradox by kidnapping Silmeria, which has altered the sequence of events during the Sovereign's Rite. The party accepts to team up with her, and they proceed until they encounter Silmeria, trapped within a homunculus. They defeat it, and Alicia manages to materialize her. However, when they finally confront Lezard, he casts the Sovereign's Rite upon all three Valkyries and escapes with Lenneth's soul, which has been his objective from the start. Brahms, who has been freed from his crystal, manages to temporarily preserve Hrist's and Silmeria's souls. He volunteers to serve as a vessel for the three Valkyrie souls to combine into one after they free Lenneth, but Alicia asks to do it instead. Despite Brahms' warnings that her body will not withstand the strain, she insists that she needs Silmeria to feel whole and wants to have a hand in constructing a new future. This greatly affects Rufus, who attempts, in vain, to dissuade her. The plan is successful: the party frees Lenneth just before Lezard can fuse with her, Alicia absorbs the three sisters' souls and becomes Valkyrie, proceeding to defeat Lezard. Before he dies, he stabs her with Gungnir, but this appears to have no effect. He concedes his loss, and his body dissipates. However, the combined strain of the battle and the wound eventually take their toll on Alicia, and she starts to dissipate as well. Rufus calls out to her, and her soul manages to take control one last time to kiss the ring on her finger as a form of farewell. Rufus runs over to embrace her, only to have her fade from his grasp. Without Lezard's power to sustain it, the pocket dimension begins to seal itself off. However, the party still has a shard from the fractured Water Mirror to allow them to escape safely. Rufus decides to return Gungnir to Asgard and take Odin's place, while Arngrim accepts to be the new guardian of the Dragon Orb on Midgard. Brahms, who is mortal in the pocket dimension, as it does not follow the same laws as the worlds connected to Yggdrasil, decides to stay behind and die, as there is no place for him on Midgard anymore. However, he states that with Rufus in Odin's place, the Undead will no longer need to battle the gods. Some time later, Rufus is seen walking through Coriander in a long cloak which conceals his appearance. A group of children run by, and a little girl trips up and falls at his feet. He helps her up, and she appears to be the reincarnation of Alicia. The child smiles at the stranger and runs off, and, as he watches her leave, he smiles in turn and kisses his ring. This prompts the little girl to turn around again, as if she could sense it, but Rufus has already vanished. Battle Rufus is an excellent Archer, being the overall best of his class. He has good attacks, both in terms of damage and combos, which he learns in an advantageous order and most of which are unique to him. Thunder Fall, in particular, is extremely helpful in restoring AP and thus allowing longer combos. He also learns some helpful support spells and specializes in lightning-elemental attacks, which is not necessarily an advantage, but is unique to him. He will join the party at level 1 with a Short Bow, Leather Mail and Leather Glove, but no initial skills. Attacks *'Absolute Wave' - Initial *'Three-way Attack' - Initial *'Thunder Arrow' - Initial *'Stony Decree' - Level 6 *'Aiming Wisp' - Level 12 *'Freezing Lance' - Level 17 *'Killing Thorn' - Level 25 *'Shrapnel Shatter' - Level 34 *'Thunder Fall' - Level 44 *'Thunder Break' - Learned at the Seraphic Gate Magic *'Sap Power' - Level 10 *'Sap Guard' - Level 23 *'Dampen Magic' - Level 30 *'Guard Reinforce' - Level 38 *'Might Reinforce' - Level 50 *'Spell Reinforce' - Level 60 Elemental Tolerance Soul Crush Rufus' Soul Crush is called Blinding Blaze. He will use one version of it until Odin is defeated atop Yggdrasil and another, more powerful version when he rejoins after being materialized. He will say "Leave the rest to me!" before using it, for both versions. Recruitment Rufus joins the party in Solde and only leaves for a short interval in Chapter 5 after the battle against Odin. Etymology Rufus is a common masculine name meaning "red-haired" in Latin http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Rufus. In this case, it is probably used ironically, as Rufus has a distinctly green colour scheme, green and red being complementary colours http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complementary_colours. It could be interpreted as a reference to his hidden identity, meaning that he is not what he appears to be. Alternatively, it could also be a reference to the historical prejudice against red hair http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_hair, thus designating him as a pariah among elves. Trivia *Rufus is voiced by the same actor as Gyne. *Rufus is one of two male Archers in the game. The only other one is Ehrde. *Two of Rufus' initial attacks are identical to two of Lenneth's bow attacks in Valkyrie Profile. *It is commonly believed that Roussalier is Rufus' mother. Not only does she sacrifice herself to help him and Alicia, she also appears very hurt by his initial distrust and has a motherly gesture towards him before he leaves for Dipan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvTayqg0Jdo. It is possible that he was taken from her at birth, which would explain why he does not recognize her. His father was, therefore, a human, although the details of his conception and birth are unknown. *It is also commonly believed that Rufus and Alicia died at the top of Yggdrasil in the original sequence of events. *It is never explained how Alicia, Dylan and Rufus were able to escape Dipan castle after their first visit there in the original sequence of historical events, as Lezard was not there to teleport them out. *It is somewhat surprising that Rufus manages to keep his origins secret, considering that he has green hair, a trait only elves possess. *Rufus' emotiveness and devotion to Alicia are the topics of running jokes in the Dog House cutscenes of the Seraphic Gate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSkorbCKRqU. Gallery File:Valkyrie_Profile_2_team.jpg|Rufus with Alicia, Dylan and Lezard File:In_dipan.jpg|Rufus arrives to Dipan for the first time File:Fmv3960-141.jpg|Rufus is distrustful of Roussalier File:Vp2-121.jpg|Rufus after Lezard's defeat File:Fmv3985-33.jpg|Rufus in Coriander ---- Category: Character Category: Male Category:Archer